Series aims to bring clarity – and humor – to an increasingly jargon-filled industry

For anyone who has ever felt lost after meetings where words like “programmatic buying” and “ad exchanges” were thrown around with abandon, Advertising Age has come to the rescue with “Explain it Like I’m Eight,” a new web series that ingeniously breaks down marketing-speak for the masses.

Each episode features Ad Age reporter Alex Kantrowitz wryly and gamely attempting to translate complex marketing lingo into terms and concepts that can be easily understood by a duo of skeptical eight year olds portrayed by actors Sophia Chong and Gabriel Owen.

After failing to win his young colleagues over with definitions that sound like gobbledygook, Kantrowitz resorts to breaking down topics in ways that anyone can grasp, such as how picking teams at recess mirrors the mechanics of ad exchanges or why programmatic buying is not much different than buying an iPhone directly from eBay. Other topics deciphered in the series include cookies, viewability, audience targeting, and digital ad fraud.

To develop the series, Advertising Age worked with its team of editors to identify the industry buzzwords that pop up consistently in conversations and in Ad Age’s coverage itself.

“Our goal was to bring a little clarity to a jargon-filled industry in fun and clever way,” said Allison Arden, Vice President/Publsher of Advertising Age. “The enthusiastic response from viewers so far indicates people want to make sense of a marketing world that has become increasingly, and perhaps needlessly, complex.”

Select episodes from the series have been unveiled at Ad Age conferences and events over the past two months, striking a chord with audiences and building buzz on social media. All episodes can now be found online at adage.com/explain8.

Arden said that the early success of the “Explain it Like I’m Eight” series lays the foundation for the launch of other web series in 2015 that will demystify other aspects of the ad industry.

“With the boundaries of marketing blurring and more professionals expected to have an understanding of the fundamentals of advertising, Ad Age is uniquely positioned as a trusted authority,” said Arden. “We see video as an effective way reach new audiences with entertaining and compelling content that draws them into the advertising world.”

The series was produced and directed by Ad Age video producer Nathan Skid and John Picklap served as director of photography.

About Advertising Age
Advertising Age is recognized as the leading global source of news, analysis and intelligence for the marketing and media community. Advertising Age includes ongoing coverage of strategic topics for marketers from mid to large companies complemented by breaking news and a database of the world's best creative. The 84-year-old publisher produces more than 15 original rankings each year, including the 100 Leading National Advertisers and 100 Leading Media Companies lists, the Agency A-List, and the annual Agency Report.